Two-station situation helps Saugus Fire battle blaze

SAUGUS – Saugus firefighters made quick work of a dryer fire on Western Avenue early Sunday morning, but Capt. Thomas Nolan said things could have been a lot worse if the Essex Street Fire Station had been closed.?The fire was just coming out of the dryer and into the vents, but Engine 1 got there so quick, they were able to knock the fire down and contain it to the dryer,” said Nolan. “Having a fire in the basement is the worst spot. It just travels the open voids in the ceiling all the way up.”Engine 1 from the Essex Street Station responded to the call at 1:11 a.m. However, Engine 3 from the Central Station in Saugus Center was out on a medical call at the same time.If the Essex Street Station had been closed and Engine 1 out of service, Nolan said an engine from another town would have had to be called in.?I would have been standing there with a ladder truck watching the building burn waiting for an engine to come and pump it,” said Nolan.Firefighter Bill Cross credited Town Manager Scott Crabtree with keeping the station open despite dwindling money in the department?s overtime account.?I?m just happy that Town Manager Crabtree has kept the station open,” said Cross. “It definitely paid dividends the other night and it reinforces the fact that we need at least two stations in the town of Saugus at all times. We can?t afford to be down a station. These things happen all the time, these little calls where you say, ?Wow, imagine if it was closed. What would have happened??”The Essex Street Station is currently at minimum staffing with three firefighters stationed there. If one is injured or takes vacation, that third spot is filled using overtime. If the overtime account runs out, the station would have to close periodically and the remaining firefighters would be transferred back to Central Station.However, selectmen recently called a Special Town meeting for Nov. 19 where Crabtree inserted an article looking for $44,000 for two additional firefighters for six months and $130,000 for firefighter overtime. The department started the fiscal year with $165,000 in the overtime account.?With public safety being a priority, one of the things I?m trying to do is fix a systemic problem with not having enough staffing for police or fire,” said Crabtree. “We can put some of these additional funds toward overtime which will help with staffing and minimize the intermittent closing of the station.”Crabtree also said the department is in the process of hiring up to three new firefighters and is still waiting to hear word on a grant to hire another eight, which will give the department?s ranks a much needed boost.Nolan said the fire, which was in the basement of a wooden, three-family house, didn?t do much damage, but “filled the house up with smoke pretty good.”?We were able to ventilate it,” said Nolan. “You?re talking about four floors of smoke.”Nolan said five residents and a puppy were home at the time and all were evacuated safely.Cross said the fire also served as a reminder for residents to check the batteries in their smoke detectors, since the ones at the home Sunday morning were working perfectly.?When you change the clocks you should definitely change the batteries in the smoke detectors,” said Cross. “I think people take that for granted.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].